Granted Patent B1

US 7,844,766 · App. 12/245,234 · Granted Nov 30, 2010

Abstract

Claims (127)

1. A method providing location-specific computer enabled services and monitoring, having minimally invasive reconfiguration and replacement, the method comprising the steps of:

providing, from a server, a first relationship of a network addressing between a location and electronic configuration information;

providing, from the server, a second relationship of a uniquely identifying between the location and an electronic identifier of the location;

providing, at the location, an electronic service connecting/monitoring component as a daughter card, and a hot-swappable board electronic component having a readable component providing the electronic identifier in an electronically readable format and a boot loader receiving boot info including a boot script from the server;

accessing the electronic identifier from the readable component;

accessing the location associated with the accessed electronic identifier according to the second relationship;

accessing the electronic configuration information associated with the associated location according to the first relationship;

loading the electronic configuration information associated with the location from the server onto the service connecting/monitoring component of the location;

executing, in the processor, the boot script to load an operating system from the server to the processor; and

executing the operating system to perform said loading the electronic configuration information from the server, thereby enabling modification of the associated electronic configuration information to reconfigure based on the location;

wherein the hot-swappable board communicating a status of the hot-swappable board with the server according to business rules.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

configuring the service connecting/monitoring component having connection components and power connectors;

configuring the hot-swappable board receiving power from the daughter card, the hot-swappable board comprising a processor and a computer readable memory having computer readable code embodied therein, the hot-swappable board for executing said steps of accessing the electronic configuration information associated with the location and loading the electronic configuration information; and

configuring said server to perform said steps of providing the first relationship and providing the second relationship.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

installing the daughter card at the location;

providing power connection to the daughter card;

interconnecting the daughter card and the server;

installing the hot-swappable board;

detecting a failure in the hot-swappable board;

replacing the failing hot-swappable board with a new hot-swappable board; and

configuring the location by downloading the associated electronic configuration information to the new hot-swappable board.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein said step of providing power connection to the daughter card comprises the steps of:

configuring the power connection as a central power supply; and

interconnecting the daughter card to the central power supply.

5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

configuring a power connection;

configuring the server;

building the configuration information on the server;

configuring the daughter card;

connecting the daughter card to the power connection and to the server; and

installing the hot-swappable board having the processor and the boot loader.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising the step of:

enabling real time communications between the server and the hot-swappable board.

7. The method as in claim 5 further comprising the step of: integrating the server with other systems to provide alerts based on the business rules.

8. The method as in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

detecting events in the hot-swappable board by using the business rules; and

receiving changes to the business rules from the other systems.

9. The method as in claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

configuring a port between the server and the hot-swappable board as an IEEE 802.1Q VLAN trunk with a management VLAN for management; and

configuring a management node using the management VLAN.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprises the steps of:

requesting a temporary IP address for the hot-swappable board;

receiving the temporary IP address;

assigning the management VLAN for management communications;

receiving a management node IP address to communicate with the management node;

requesting a boot script from the management node using the management node IP address and the management VLAN;

choosing, at the management node, the boot script based on a required action for the hot-swappable board;

downloading, using the boot script, a boot image to the hot-swappable board;

downloading, using the boot script, an application to the hot-swappable board;

providing the management VLAN and the management node IP address to the boot image;

booting, from the boot script, the boot image;

loading the boot image and the application into memory of the hot-swappable board;

retrieving, from the hot-swappable board, the daughter card unique identifier;

requesting a daughter card IP address for the daughter card unique identifier; and

receiving the daughter card IP address.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising the step of:

selecting the action from a group consisting of firmware upgrade, testing, and booting.

12. The method as in claim 10 wherein said step of executing the operating system comprises the steps of:

retrieving the electronic configuration information associated with the electronic identifier from the management node using the management node IP address;

translating the electronic configuration information to configuration commands;

setting the hot-swappable board into a configuration mode;

configuring the hot-swappable board based on the configuration commands;

transitioning from the configuration mode to an operational mode; and

reporting, from the hot-swappable board, the status of the hot-swappable board to the management node.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein said step of translating the electronic configuration information comprises the steps of:

receiving the electronic configuration information in XML format from the server; and

executing code on the hot-swappable board to parse the electronic configuration information into a configuration batch file.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein said step of transitioning from the configuration mode comprises the steps of:

executing the configuration batch file to configure the hot-swappable board; and

reporting the status to the server.

15. The method as in claim 12 wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

maintaining an event log;

reporting the status in real time;

providing the event log to the management node; and

reporting the status periodically.

16. A system providing location-specific computer enabled services and monitoring, having minimally invasive reconfiguration and replacement, the system comprising:

a relationship provider enabling a first relationship of a network addressing between a location and electronic configuration information from a server and a second relationship of uniquely identifying between said location and an electronic identifier of the location;

a service connecting/monitoring component as a daughter card at the location including a hot-swappable board electronic component having the electronic identifier embodied therein, a boot loader, and a readable component providing said electronic identifier in an electronically readable format;

an accessor accessing an accessed said electronic identifier from said readable component, accessing said location associated with the accessed said electronic identifier according to said second relationship, and accessing said electronic configuration information associated with the associated location according to said first relationship; and

a server loading the associated said electronic configuration information onto said service connecting/monitoring component and enabling modification of the associated said electronic configuration information to reconfigure based on said location;

wherein said service connecting/monitoring component receives boot information including a boot script from said server into a processor, executes said boot information to load an operating system from said server to said processor, and executes said operating system to load the associated said electronic configuration information downloaded from said server;

wherein said hot-swappable board communicates a status of said hot-swappable board with said server according to business rules.

17. The system as in claim 16 wherein said service connecting/monitoring component having connection components and power connection,

wherein said hot-swappable board receiving power through said power connection from said daughter card, said hot-swappable board including the processor and a computer readable memory having computer readable code embodied therein, the hot-swappable board for accessing said electronic configuration information associated with said location and loading said electronic configuration information, and

wherein said server provides said first relationship and said second relationship.

18. The system as in claim 17

wherein said daughter card is installed at said location, said power connection is provided to said daughter card, said daughter card and said server are interconnected, and said hot-swappable board is installed; and

detects a failure in said hot-swappable board and enables replacing the failing hot-swappable board with a new hot-swappable board,

wherein said server configures said location by downloading the associated said electronic configuration information to said hot-swappable board, and enables real time communications between said server and said hot-swappable board.

19. The system as in claim 18 wherein said power connection is a central power supply.

20. The system as in claim 16 wherein said server is integrated with other systems to provide alerts based on said business rules,

wherein said server detects events in said hot-swappable board by using said business rules, and receives changes to said business rules from said other systems, and

wherein said server configures a port between said server and said hot-swappable board and configures a management node.

21. The system as in claim 18 wherein said service connecting/monitoring component comprises components for:

requesting a temporary IP address for said hot-swappable board;

receiving said temporary IP address;

assigning a management VLAN for management communications;

receiving a management node IP address to communicate with said management node;

requesting a boot script from said management node using said management node IP address and said management VLAN;

choosing, at said management node, said boot script based on a required action for said hot-swappable board;

downloading, using said boot script, a boot image to said hot-swappable board;

downloading, using said boot script, an application to said hot-swappable board;

providing said management VLAN and an address of said management node to said boot image;

booting, from said boot script, said boot image;

loading said boot image and said application into memory of said hot-swappable board;

retrieving, from said hot-swappable board, said daughter card unique identifier;

requesting a daughter card IP address for said daughter card unique identifier;

receiving said daughter card IP address;

retrieving said electronic configuration information associated with said electronic identifier from said management node using said management node IP address;

translating said electronic configuration information to configuration commands;

setting said hot-swappable board into a configuration mode;

configuring said hot-swappable board based on said configuration commands;

transitioning from said configuration mode to an operational mode; and

reporting, from said hot-swappable board, a status of said hot-swappable board to said management node.

22. The system as in claim 21 wherein said service connecting/monitoring component comprises components for;

receiving said electronic configuration information in XML format from said server;

executing code on said hot-swappable board to parse said electronic configuration information into a configuration batch file;

executing said configuration batch file to configure said hot-swappable board;

maintaining an event log;

reporting said status in real time;

providing said event log to said management node; and

reporting said status periodically.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable code stored instructions therein to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

24. A node in a communication network executing instructions to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

25. A communications network having a node executing instructions to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

Assignments (16)